


Whammy

by Rivulet027



Category: Constantine (TV)
Genre: Bisexual John Constantine, Empathy, Episode: s04e08 Legends of To-Meow-Meow, Exhaustion, Gen, Hair-pulling, John Constantine Needs A Hug, Multiverse, POV Chas Chandler, Smoking, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21831595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: While Zed and John are trying to figure out why Zed can't sleep they accidently pull a Constantine from another reality into theirs.
Relationships: Chas Chandler & John Constantine & Mary "Zed" Martin, John Constantine & John Constantine
Comments: 16
Kudos: 56
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Whammy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LJC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJC/gifts).



> A/N: I really wanted to write you case fic, but that prompt of LoT John and Constantine's John being from different realities wouldn't leave me alone. Thank you to midnightclarity for the beta.

Chas isn’t sure a spell is going to solve how little sleep Zed’s been getting the last few days, but John seem confident. Chas wants to call John out on his bravado, but it’s worrying how pale and slightly listless Zed is as she sits down across from John and makes an effort to actually look at him. 

“It’s like you’re screaming for help,” she says, head tilting as she studies John across from her. “Except that it’s not you.”

“Except that somehow it is?” John hazards a guess.

“Somehow,” Zed concedes.

John thinks it’s a distraction or sleight of hand. Chas agrees, this could be an enemy they’re not quite aware of yet attempting to keep them off balance or distracted. He’s just not sure a spell is going to solve Zed’s sleeplessness.

“Quit judging and let us work,” John chides as he and Zed sit across each other. Chas snorts and continues pacing. He listens as John gets Zed to deep breathe for several moments. Surprisingly she doesn’t fall asleep, Chas knows if he was as tired as she is he would be snoring by now. When he turns to walk back towards them the two of them are reaching for each other, then linking hands.

“It is you,” Zed says.

“But it’s not,” John continues. “Let’s try to isolate this me you’re feeling that isn’t me and...no don’t pull it towards you...don’t...Zed!”

There’s a popping noise and suddenly there’s another Constantine in the room. He looks more stressed than their John. His hair is newly dyed, but standing up as if he’s been yanking on it the way John does when he’s stressed. His eyes are darting around even as he lets out a long exhale. Inanely Chas notices his tie is red. John’s is black. At least he’ll be able to tell the two of them apart, though knowing John he’d switch ties just to vex them.

Zed and John both scramble away from the new Constantine.

“What did you do?” John demands and Chas isn’t sure if he’s asking Zed, this new Constantine, or both of them.

“Zari?” Constantine asks. “Pssst, pssst, Zari? Did I come with a cat? They’re going to kill me if I lose her. Zari? I’m really sorry you’re a cat.”

Zed gives John a concerned look. He shrugs.

“There wasn’t a cat,” Zed reassures while frowning at Constantine. “You turned someone into a cat?”

“I broke the timeline and she ended up as a cat,” Constatine admits as he leans his head back with a sigh. He tilts his head to take in Chas. “Hey Chas.”

“I’m calling mine John and you Constantine,” Chas informs him.

“Makes sense,” Constantine agrees. He sighs and closes his eyes briefly.

“What do you mean you broke the timeline?” Zed demands.

“Some idiot let me get ahold of a time machine, didn’t they?” John complains.

Constantine laughs. It’s hollow and mirthless. Chas lets out a worried sigh. This might not be his John, but clearly something is very wrong. He crouches near Constantine and runs a hand into the other man’s hair, tugging lightly, just enough pain to let him focus back towards the problem at hand. John glares. Chas rolls his eyes. Constantine goes lax with an exhaustive sigh.

"Maybe Zari's right and Charlie and I can't fix this," Constantine complains without bothering to open his eyes.

"I'm taking advice from a cat?" John prods.

"Who's Charlie?" Zed attempts to clarify.

Constantine tenses again.

"Couldn't keep out of trouble, could you?" Chas chides gently.

Constantine smirks, just slightly. “Well, you know me.”

Chas shakes his head. He’s still concerned, but if Constantine can still joke the situation isn’t entirely dire.

“Was it worth breaking?” John asks.

Constantine wrinkles his nose slightly and the laugh is self-deprecating as he says, “Yes.”

“What’s their name?” John demands.

Chas raises an eyebrow. John pulls out a cigarette and lights up. Chas wants to ask if John is already frustrated with himself, even though he knows that won’t help the situation.

“Let me have one,” Constantine says as he sits up to take John in.

John squats in front of himself and glares. “It ain’t Astra, so who are you sacrificing the timeline for?”

Constantine stares at the mirror image of himself, then glances around the room as he frowns. His eyes land on Zed. John reaches out to grip Constantine’s chin, turn his face back towards him.

“Who?” John demands.

There’s confusion and a bit of fear in Constantine’s eyes, though his face remains dour, but impassive. Chas sits down near them. Constantine wets his lips. John’s eyes track the movement. They frown at each other.

“What’s the year?” Constantine asks.

“Two thousand fifteen,” Chas answers.

Constantine groans and lays back down. “Really let me have one.”

John makes a considering noise before pulling out his cigarettes and placing one in Constantine’s mouth. He lights it carefully. Constantine’s shoulders relax as he takes his first drag. With a sound of annoyance Zed steps forward and plucks the cigarette from Constantine’s mouth. Constantine makes a disgruntled and yet resigned noise. Chas runs his fingers into Constantine’s hair again.

“What year is it for you?” Zed asks holding the cigarette just out of reach.

“This is the past, but it’s not my past because I don’t know you,” Constantine tells her as he holds out his hand for the cigarette.

Zed lets him have it. “You’re still projecting, loudly.”

“Should’ve said something sooner,” Constantine tells her around the cigarette before taking a long slow drag. He closes his eyes, then shakes his head, before he sighs and apologizes.

“You’re a mess,” Zed tells him.

“You try having more than one ‘how the timeline is supposed to be’ mashed into your skull,” Constantine volleys back.

John stubs out his cigarette and moves forward. He lets Constantine take one more drag before holding his hand out. Constantine protests with a groan before handing the cigarette over. John stubs that one out too and puts them back in his pack. 

Constantine frowns as he watches. “You can send me home?”

John nods as he cups Constantine’s face. “You need to fix this. You’re hurting Zed.”

Constantine winces, glancing over at Zed.

“You’re a loud projecting asshole,” Zed confirms.

“Sorry?” Constantine offers. He doesn’t sound apologetic, just exhausted.

John makes a noise of concern, rubs his thumbs over Constantine’s cheeks and waits until his other self is looking at him. “You’re going to fix this.”

Constantine looks as if he’s going to protest for a moment, but closes his eyes in pain instead. Chas resists the urge to interject himself. John will get through to this other version of himself, he has to. John sighs in worry before pressing a kiss to Constantine’s forehead.

“I know what I sound like when I’m trying to talk someone else into…” Constantine starts, voice low and barely there.

“To save the world, not destroy it and ourselves,” John reminds. “You can’t sacrifice everything for one person, no matter how much it hurts.”

Constantine takes a slow breath and opens his eyes. “Right.”

He shifts closer. John meets him halfway. The kiss is brief, a reassurance. Then John is pulling at books and tossing ideas at Zed on just how to send Constantine home. Constantine picks up on the thread of thought and it isn’t long before the three of them figure out how reverse what Zed did. All the while they work Chas wants to ask where he is, why isn’t he keeping this Constantine from a mistake like breaking the timeline? Did Constantine lose him? Is he dead? Chas isn’t sure how to ask. Then Constantine takes him aside right before he leaves. He can barely look at Chas as he offers, “I fixed it, fixed what I did to him, the you in my timeline. I could tell him how to fix you too.”

Chas sucks in a slow breath of astonishment and shakes his head. He glances over to where John and Zed are working. Zed is sitting cross legged as she talks to John, who’s pacing while carrying a book. He thinks about his daughter and worries about what happens to her in a world where he’s not helping to keep the monsters at bay.

“No,” Chas tells Constantine. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m right where I need to be.”

Constantine nods. Chas hugs him close, not liking how fragile Constantine looks or feels. He almost wishes he could give that other him a piece of his mind

“You’ll fix the timeline?” Chas pushes.

“Charlie won’t be happy with me,” Constantine sighs as he steps away. 

“She’s not stuck as a cat,” Chas points out.

Constantine shakes his head. “You don’t know the half of it.”

Chas makes a considering noise, waiting to see if Constantine will elaborate. He doesn’t and then he gets sent home. John starts smoking and drinking. Zed starts pacing. Chas makes them both drink some water. One slow agonizing hour crawls by, then Zed’s shoulders sag. “He fixed it.”

She nods to herself, then tells them she’s heading for bed. Chas agrees with her as he stands looking at John.

“I think you need your bed too,” Chas suggests.

John makes a disgruntled noise. Chas crosses his arms. John rolls his eyes, but stands and pats Chas’ shoulder before he heads to bed. Chas locks up then tidies up to give the two of them time to fall asleep. He checks on each of them before deciding he deserves a nap as well.


End file.
